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1:. G. OORNING.

- ORE OONGENTRATOR AND SBPARATOR. No. 311,231. Patented Jan; 27, 1885.

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FREDERICK G. OORNING, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO GEORGE E H. BENJAMIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ORE CONCENTRATOR AND SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NG. 311,231, dated January 27, 1885.

Application filed A pril 19, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK G. CORNING, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovenientsin Ore Concentrators and Separators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved ore concentrator and separator, more particularly to that class of ore-dressing machinery known as vanning-machines, its object being to I 5 separate, first, the heavy and valuable metalliferous particlessuch as gold, silver, copper,

tin, &c.contained in ore pulp and mill-tailings from the gangue or waste, which is the light and worthless portion; second, to effect a separation of the several kinds of valuable ore particles in the pulp into separate classes or bodies, according to the metalliferons mineralogical constituency of the ore from which the pulp is produced.

In other words, the object of my invention is to not only efficiently and expeditiously separate metals and minerals from their bearing rock, after reduction in a stamp-mill or other form of crusher, and concentrate the metals and minerals in a hopper or box, but my apparatus carries the concentration and separation still further, in that it also produces a separation of the several metalliferous minerals among themselves, thus subdividing the concentrates into classes or bodies whose compositions render them better adapted to subsequent metallurgical treatment. To aecomplish this desirable result,I have made various improvements in the apparatus for separating the metals from the gangue and from each other, which will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,,forming a part of this specification, similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved apparatus,showing the parabolic curves formed on the traveling apron or belt by the metal- 50 liferous particles of the ore pulp fed thereon and separated in the order of their specific gravity during the progress of concentration and separation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the percussion table, showing the rollers over which the traveling apron is carried,and also the roller for tightening the apron. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal elevation of my device. Fig.

4 is a cross or end view showing the lateral inclination of the belt or apron.

A is the main stationary frame for supporting the Working parts.

B is an adjustable percussion-frame for carrying the traveling apron, suspended in the frame A by means of the suspension-rods X X, to the ends of which are attached the nuts W, for adj ust-ing the degree of lateral inclination of the frame.

J ournaled into the frame 13 are the two large rollers, O and G, and a series of smaller rollers, b b b b,which serve to support the endless apron D.

Attached to the same shaft as the roller 0 is the pulley E, over which passes a belt which gives motion to the traveling apron.

Attached to the under side of the frame Bis another roller, M, having its bearings arranged to move in sockets and capable of adjustment, so as to tighten or loosen the apron -D, as desired.

The percussion-table B is arranged to have a lateral inclination, as shown in Fig. 4,-the apron D thereon taking the same inclination. The movement of the apron D is in a horizontal direction from the right end of the frame to the left, as indicated by the arrow in the drawings, or in a direction away from the point where the ore pulp is fed upon it.

R r are rods attached to each end of the percussion-frame B. The rod R passes through a striking or percussion block, 0, and a spiral 0 or other convenient form of spring, L, attaehed to one end of the frame A, and'has suitably attached to one end of the rod a nut and washer adapted to bear against the spring L.

r is a similar rod attached to the other end of the frame 13, and to the upper end of a lever, S, which is pivoted at its lower end to the frame A.

Suitably arranged on one end of the frame A is the cam Q, which receives its motion by means of a belt passing over a pulley located on the cam-shaft. The cam is preferably so formed that it shall have one or more projections thereon, which act, when brought in contact with the lever S, to depress or push it back, and with it the frame B, thereby compressing the spring L, which acts, when the lever S is relieved by the cam, to draw the per cussion-frame suddenly back, so as to strike the block 0 with a sharp blow or percussion.

J is a pulp-mixing trough, which may be of any convenient form or design, and arranged to feed the pulp onto the apron D through the spout j.

The mixer is preferably constructed of the form shown, in which J is the trough or hopper into which the crushed ore and water are delivered, and provided with a cylindrical extension, J, through which passes a shaft, K, carrying a pulley on its outer end, and a mix ingwheel, 75, within the trough J. Between the trough and its extension is a sliding gate, j, to regulate the amount of material fed to the mixingchamber J. The spout j is attached to the mixing-chamber J at a point above its lowest element.

It will be noticed that the said mixer is located at one side of the main frame and forms an integral part of the device. The advantage of this arrangement is that the pulp, being mixed immediately before its discharge onto the apron, is, when so discharged, in the best possible condition to be acted on by the percussive force imparted to theapron and by the streams of water, as the particles are kept separated by a layer of water. The interval of time between the mixing and the combined action of the above forces is so small that any adhesion of the particles is prevented, as the layer ofwater'intervening between the particles has not had time to drain therefrom, and the percussive force applied to the apron thus acts to the best possible advantage.

H is a trough arranged along and over the highest side of the apron, and which is kept full of pure clarifying-water, and adapted to discharge the same in varying quantities onto the apron D through the apertures i z z z and distributing-boards h h h h. The apertures "L in the trough H are provided with gates or slides, by which the amount of water discharged can be regulated. The distributingboa-rds h h h h have deflectors h arranged thereon in such a manner that the stream of water passing them is more or less spread. At the feeding end, or point where the ore pulp is fed onto the apron, the deflectors are close together, whiie at the other end of the belt the deflectors are further separated.

E is a water-jet pipe arranged over the apron for removing the heaviest and last concentrates from the apron D.

F is a chute arranged below the lower edge of the apron D, and on which are adjustable switches f f f f, by means of which the different concentrates and waste are kept separate and conducted into the corresponding divisions of the receiving-trough G for concentrates.

The plan view, Fig. 1, represents the machine in operation. The pulp flowing onto the apron at j is subjected to the action of three forcesviz., first, that of the traveling apron from right to left, to which is added, second, the inertia of the ore particles produced by the percnssions of the frame and apron there on, likewise in the direction of its travel. The third force acting on the ore particles is that of the downflowing stream of water at right angles to the aforementioned forces and to the travel of the apron. The resultants of these forces work in a diagonal direction from the right-hand upper corner of the apron to the lefthand lower corner and divide the pulp into parabolic stripes or zones, the first and short est of which contains the gangue, failings, or waste of the ore, while the following stripes contain the ores in order of their specific gravity. Thus, for instance, an ore consisting of quartz, zincblende, pyrites, and galena would concentrate as illustrated in Fig. 1, in which the ores are practically separated into divisions by themselves.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The crushed and powdered material suspended in a current of water forming the ore pulp is delivered from the pulpanixer J by means of the spoutj upon the traveling belt or apron D, which is driven slowly and continuously from the right toward the left, during which the frame upon which it is supported receives quick sharp percnssions in the direction of the line of travel of the apron. The percussion is imparted to the frame supporting the apron by means of the cam Q acting upon the lever S, which draws the frame back, and at the same time compresses the spring L. NVhen the lever S is released by the cam, the resiliency of the spring L draws the frame suddenly back, causing it to strike the percussionhlock c with a sharp blow.

I do not limit myself to the particular means for percussing the frame and apron thereon, as herein shown and described. Various other mechanical means can be used to accomplish the same result. Itherefore reserve the right to employ any means which may be useful or desirable to produce a percussion or concussion of the frame and traveling belt or apron. The ore being fed on the apron through spout j is carried toward the left, and in so traveling is also acted upon by the flows of water from distributing-boards h h h h, which streams are so adjusted thattheir volume and strength increase from right to left, corresponding to the increase in specific gravity of the ore or mineral to be separated and carried off the table at the corresponding lower division.

No claim is made in this application to the method of concentrating and separating ores herein described, as it will form the subject matter of a separate application.

Having thus described my invention and its IIO advantages, what I desire to claim by Letters Patent is 1. In an ore concentrator and separator, the combination of a laterally-inclined horizontally reciprocating percussion frame, an endless apron or belt supported on and adapted to be moved horizontally in and around said frame, and having a lateral discharge, with a means for imparting to said frame and the apron thereon a sudden movement, impulse, blow, or percussion in the direction of the line of travel of the apron, and a supply of water laterally discharged on said apron proportionately to the increasing specific gravity of the pulp thereon, substantially as and for the purposes described.

'2. In an ore concentrator and separator, the combination of a laterally-inclined reciprocating percussionframe, an endless apron adapted to move in a horizontal direction thereon, a pulp-mixer and chute in direct connection with said device, for feeding the pulp upon the apron immediately after the mixing, with means for producing a percussion of the reciprocating frame in the direction of the line of travel of the endless apron thereon, substantially as described.

3. In an ore concentrator and separator, the combination of a laterally-inclined reciprocating percussion-frame, an endless apron adapted to move in a horizontal direction thereon, a Water-trough, distributingboards, and deflectors arranged over the highest side of the apron, for discharging streams of water of increasing force upon the apron, with means for percussing the reciprocating frame in the direction of the line of travel of the endless apron thereon, substantially as described.

4. In an ore concentrator and separator,

40 the combination of a laterally-inclined reciprocating percussion frame, an endless apron and means for moving it in a horizontal direction thereon, a receiving board or trough provided with movable switches arranged thereon, said board or trough being arranged under the lowest side of the apron to separate the different grades of ore, and separate receptacles therefor, with means for percussing the reciprocating frame in the direction of the line of travel of the endless apron thereon, substantially as described.

5. In an ore concentrator and separator, the combination of the main frame A, percussion-frame B, endless apron D, reciprocating rods R r, percussion-block a, spring L, lever L S, cam Q, and interposed mechanism for imparting motion to said parts, substantially as described.

6. In an ore concentrator and separator, the combination of the percnssion-frame B, rod R, attached thereto, bumperblock c, encircling and guiding said rod, and spring L, substantially as described.

7. In an ore concentrator and separator, the combination of the percussion-frame B, pulp-mixer J, water-trough H, constructed as described, for regulating the water-discharge, and provided with apertures t and deflectors h, with means for percussing the frame in the direction of the line of travel of the endless apron thereon, substantially as described.

8. In an ore concentrator and separator, the combination of a reciprocating frame, an endless apron traveling on and supported by said frame, and means for discharging laterally a supply of water on said apron proportionately to the increasing specific gravity of the pulp contained thereon, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

FREDERICK G. OORNING.

Witnesses:

G120. H. BENJAMIN, W. A. FRENCH. 

